Oops, it seemed like I dropped my big bag of Heathers The Musical spoilers all over this chapter.
Also, this chapter goes all the way up to pg-13, I'd guess, because of Heathers the Musical. Kids, don't listen to it and don't read this chapter, teens, listen to it and read this chapter. You don't have to listen to it before you read this chapter, but there will be a lot of vague spoiler-y details about the musical.
Uh, there will be a page break at the approximate part where Heathers The Musical spoilers end but you will miss some Zayne development if you skip to that part.
I'm not sorry lol this was so much fun to write and I love the musical it's based on.
Will I ever do a chapter like this again with other musicals? Maybe. Probably.
Also, don't forget that there's a hiatus after this chapter until I finish editing everything I've written so far so it's more coherent and better builds up to the Khary-Scout Arc.
Also, also, the Scout arc is far from over. *Evil Grin*
"You like a girl's musical?" Zayne asked.
"Heathers isn't just a girl's musical. It's an edgy musical about death and acceptance."
"The first song is called Beautiful. That sounds girly and dumb."
"Just listen to it with me," Luca said, "while we draw."
"Fine. But if it's dumb you owe me like, a soda or something."
"Fine. If you don't like Heathers then I'll buy you a soda at school tomorrow."
"Cool."
Zayne took the desk while Luca flopped down on his bed next to the desk with his sketchbook. Zayne had finally started in on the abstract painting and was determined to get it done today, having recently realized that he didn't need the painting as an excuse to come over, hang out, and even stay for dinner. His eyes boggled after the first 30 seconds of the first song.
"What is this musical?"
"I told you it was edgy."
"Is high school really gonna suck that much?"
"I don't know, we'll ask Scout next year."
"High school's not gonna suck for you," Zayne muttered.
"What was that?" Luca asked, sketching Zayne dressed in a Jason Dean approved trench coat.
"I'm just saying, you're a Heather."
"What? You haven't heard enough of this musical to know that that's not a good thing."
"Well I'm not saying you're gonna get kidnapped and photographed naked or that you're a mythic, you know, but you're one of the popular ones. You're untouchable. People like you. People care about you or whatever. You don't need to worry about getting lost in the crowd."
"I didn't know you felt that way about me. I know I have a lot of friends but I wouldn't say I'm untouchable. I'm only popular because I try to make friends. You're pretty popular too, Zayne."
"Nah. I'm only in because I hang around with you. Nova's my only other real friend."
"How did that uh, how did that happen, anyway?" Luca asked as Candy Store started. Zayne had to pause- stunned by the opening lines of the song- before he answered.
"My dad got hired to do odd jobs for Nova's dad. Their family is loaded. We started hanging out 'cause of that. They're really nice. I wasn't really expecting that. I wasn't expecting anyone to actually like me."
"I'm glad you've got another good friend here. Nova does seem really cool. We've been friends for a while but I guess I haven't gotten to know them as much as I want to. And I try to make it my point to know as much about all my friends as I can."
"I bet," Zayne said as Fight for Me started, "that you know as much about Nova as you do about all of your other friends. You just want to know more about them, for some reason." Luca rolled his eyes, his face feeling a little warm.
"Oh, whatever. I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure you don't. Is this a love song?"
"Fight for Me? Kinda. But it's not the most lovey of the love songs. They're all a little twisted, though, in this musical."
"I kind of got that vibe. I don't actually hate it, though. I usually hate romantic songs in musicals. Then again, I think this is the first modern musical I've ever heard, like, ever."
"Really? Like you haven't heard Dear Evan Hansen or Hamilton, or anything?"
"Nah, just bullcrap from the fifties or whatever. What's this song?"
"Freeze your Brain. It's the one that makes me think of you."
"It's… Weird. I guess I do relate, to always moving around. But it's… It's so strange to be pinned down by a lyric like this."
"It's nice, sometimes, to know that someone else wrote the words you can use to describe yourself. That someone else, anyone else, gets you."
"I guess so."
"Can I ask you a question?"
"If you want…" Zayne paused from his painting.
"How do you build up your walls? How do you freeze your brain?"
Zayne winced when the song said, "When the voice in your head says, 'you're better off dead' don't open a vein, freeze your brain." He tried to focus on the answer to Luca's question.
"I… I don't know."
"I have a guess," Luca offered, the song switching to the much crazier Big Fun.
"So it was a loaded question." Zayne set down his paintbrush, crossing his arms and looking at Luca, not having big fun.
"A little bit."
"Was this whole musical thing a trap?"
"I wouldn't say it's a trap. But I did want to call you out on something. I really care about you as a friend, and I'm still going to be your friend no matter what, but sometimes you can say really mean things about people, and I might be wrong, but I think you do it because you think it would be easier if you didn't get close to people. Am I… Am I right about that?"
Zayne grunted, "I don't know, maybe a little bit. You know, I could just leave, right now. I don't have to come back, either. This is a breach of trust, Luca. I'm used to your little lectures but this is a personal attack-" Dead Girl Walking started but Zayne hardly noticed.
"I'm not trying to attack you, Zayne! I like you! You're one of my best friends! I just want you to know that you can get close to people. You don't have to shove people away. Nova and I both already see what's so great about you. Other people will too. You're not going to get lost in the crowd, I promise."
Zayne blinked, looking away, picking up his paintbrush as a distraction, "Can you restart this song? I didn't hear any of it."
"Oh, sure, totally." Luca restarted the music and they didn't say anything else about freezing Zayne's brain, but Luca got the sense that they were okay. Zayne hadn't left and was only making remarks about how sexually charged the song was.
"That," Luca said with a laugh, "is the point of the song."
"This is a weird musical. Wait, what's happening right now?"
"They accidentally killed Heather Chandler so they're making it look like it was a suicide. Veronica is forging a suicide note. This is one of my favorite songs, actually."
"Why?"
"It's just so weird," Luca laughed.
"You can say that again. The line about the hand jobs being sung by, what was that, a policeman? That was super intentional."
"Oh, absolutely."
"This is so weird, man. Why'd you make me listen to a weird one?"
"I figure that if I start you out with a weird one it'll be much easier to get you into more normal musicals. Also, you haven't seen anything, on the weird scale. Blue is next. I… I apologize for Blue. Blue is way weirder. It's probably gonna make you uncomfortable. It always makes Reese a little uncomfortable."
Zayne braced himself for Blue, but he still couldn't help snorting in shock when the song started.
"Oh my gosh, Luca, why should I ever trust you to share a musical with me ever again?" Zayne wheezed, still stunned. He was doubled over laughing and couldn't breathe.
"None of the other musicals are this weird, or at least, weird in this way. This is the worst thing, I'm pretty sure, in any of the musicals I listen to."
"This is ear porn, Luca."
"Not really… Be quiet, the other big love song is coming up. This one…" Zayne sat quietly, listening to Our Love Is God while he painted, pointedly avoiding the color blue.
"He seems kinda manipulative," Zayne mumbled after a minute.
"You're on the money."
"Why is she calling those freaks who almost assaulted her?"
"You'll see."
"How many times have you listened to this?"
"Once with Uncle Khary, and then way too many times on my own or with Reese."
"Your Uncle showed you this? That's twisted."
"He kinda forgot we were 11. Mom and dad don't know the weird musicals he's listened to with us."
"I never pegged you as the hide-stuff-from-your-parents type."
"Then you don't see the me inside of me," Luca laughed.
"Are they gonna kill the creeps?"
"Just listen."
"Kinda weird that they're framing these guys as gay."
"The movie that this is based on is kinda old. Things were different back then."
"I did get gay vibes from the jocks, though."
"Wait until the next song. I think it's the next song."
"Oh, gosh, JD, don't say that you worship her after you killed two guys. This is really creepy, Luca."
"We can stop listening to it if you're uncomfortable."
"No, no, I need to hear the song in which Veronica comes out okay after all of this."
"So you're invested?" Luca asked as My Dead Gay Son started.
"I am invested in your weird musical. I always knew theatre was a cult. I can't believe you're part of this train wreck cult."
Luca laughed, "Did I tell you about the play I'm gonna be in? If I get the part, that is."
"Is it anything like this?"
"Not even a little bit. It's called Raisin in the Sun, it's kinda old, it's about race relations and trying to be more in the world than you were before."
"Huh. I'll come to see you in it."
"Thanks, I'd like that. I'm gonna get to act alongside my Uncle Khary."
"I think I'd like to meet him," Zayne commented.
"Maybe you'll get to."
"Are the jocks' dads gay for each other?"
"That is what the song said."
"Oh my gosh, Luca, what is this musical?"
Luca just laughed again, "It's crazy, I know."
They both worked on their art projects in silence for a bit as Seventeen played. Luca had started drawing something else, having moved on from Zayne as JD. He was drawing one of his favorite superheroes when Reese burst in.
"I can't believe you're listening to Heathers without me," Reese accused.
"I thought I told you that was what Zayne and I were going to do today. Besides, I thought you had homework to do." Luca didn't apologize.
"I can do that here. Let me grab it, pause it if Shine a Light starts before I get back."
"Okay." Luca briefly paused before the next song, and soon Reese was settled on the couch with her homework. Zayne felt a little awkward because he knew that Reese didn't like him even a little bit, but he tried to just focus on the musical.
"That teacher lady is nutso," Zayne said quietly.
"Is he going to talk through the rest of the musical?" Reese complained.
"Reese, Zayne's my guest. He's allowed to talk to me. If you don't like it, you and I can listen to Heathers some other time."
"Just be quiet for this next one. Lifeboat is my favorite song in the entire musical," Reese said, clearly not wanting to leave.
"Got it." Zayne exaggerated zipping his lips, and he earned the smallest of smiles from Reese. That made him feel a bit better, and he was excited to see why Lifeboat was her favorite. It soon became abundantly clear. Luca had been right about some words being able to describe how you are. That must have been this song for Reese the way Freeze Your Brain was for him. He couldn't help watching her face, her eyes closed as she took it in, and he saw her grimace empathetically as one of the Heathers sang her woes.
Then the musical took a sharp turn, "Is that Heather gonna kill herself?"
"She almost tries, but she's not the only one…"
"Who else?" Zayne was really getting invested now.
"Listen to this song." Kindergarten Boyfriend had started.
"I can't tell who's singing there are too many girls."
"It's Martha."
"Veronica's best friend?"
"Yeah."
"No! She can't kill herself-" Zayne realized he was getting worked up and clammed up. Reese was laughing quietly.
"Wow, Luca, I didn't think he'd be into this," she finally piped up, having been quiet for the last few songs.
"It's… Uh… Catchy." Zayne tried to make up excuses.
"You can just say that some of the songs are relatable, I get it," Reese said with a shrug.
"It's almost over," Luca said, surprising Zayne.
"What? It's almost over? It's only been a few minutes."
"It's been 52 minutes. It's only an hour and four," Luca said as Yo Girl started.
"There's no way that everything can get resolved nicely in 12 minutes. Jason Dean needs serious therapy."
"Just listen. You'll see how things turn out."
"You gotta give me a nicer musical to work with next time, no deaths, no suicides."
"Well, Dear Evan Hansen is out," Reese said.
"Reese, what do you recommend? I need something nice and pretty after this," Zayne pleaded as Meant to be Yours offered up a bomb threat.
"Uh, Waitress only has that one abusive husband thing."
"What is the deal with musicals?" Zayne exploded, clearly overwhelmed.
"Shrek the Musical is super safe," Luca said, "and we can watch it on Netflix after dinner. You're staying for dinner, right?"
"Oh, absolutely. Oh my gosh is Veronica dead?"
"Nope, faking."
"Okay, good, I was, I was seriously worried for her." Zayne caught his breath.
"Speaking of worried... Reese, have you talked to Scout today? I only really talked to him at school. He didn't want to listen to the musical with us or anything-" Luca started.
"Yeah, yeah, Scout's fine," Reese interrupted, "Now be quiet for the Dead Girl Walking reprise. It's the other best song in the musical." Luca was still worried about Scout but he shut up, and Zayne soon learned why JD was the way he was. He figured that he could listen to this song over and over again every day for the rest of his life because Reese was right. It was one of the best in the musical. Veronica's lines were just powerful.
Luca glanced at Zayne when the line, "I wish we'd met before, they convinced you life was war," came up, and their eyes met. Zayne's eyes quickly dropped back down to his almost completed project, but Luca didn't look away. He was so, so very glad his friend had stayed. Maybe he had been a bit forward, inviting Zayne over to listen to Heathers, but he thought that some good would come from it. He really, truly wished that he could help all of his friends like this, instead of seeing them self-destruct, like JD, at the end of the musical.
Zayne was very quiet as the Seventeen reprise finished up the musical. He didn't say anything for a few minutes after it was over.
"You okay, Shane?" Reese asked.
"It's Zayne," Zayne mumbled.
"Yeah, whatever, did the musical get to you?"
"More than I ever thought it would. Shrek the Musical has a happy ending, right?"
"Yes," Luca promised.
"Yeah, I'm gonna need that." Zayne let out a breath, "Whew. That was a rollercoaster."
"Yeah. Sorry to unleash all that on you," Luca said, "I hope you liked it, though."
"I did. I think I'm going to listen to it again. I also think that I'm going to skip Blue when I do."
"Good call," Reese agreed.
"You guys can stay here but I'm gonna go down and check on Scout. Is he in his room?" Luca asked his sister.
"He was in the living room, I think, playing Animal Crossing." Luca had never said it but he was a little disappointed that Scout had been calling on his childhood favorite game for comfort instead of hanging out and venting to him. Scout hadn't even wanted to draw with him any since he'd visited Andrew a week ago.
"Okay." The three of them trekked downstairs, Scout glancing up at them the moment they reached the stairs.
"Hey." Scout raised one hand in an acknowledging wave.
"Do you mind if we hang with you? I wouldn't want to interrupt your island getaway."
"No, no, I don't mind. Zayne, are you staying for dinner?"
"Yeah, and we're watching Shrek the Musical afterward."
"You might as well stay the night," Scout pointed out.
"Could I?" Zayne sounded relieved by the offer.
"Oh, yeah, totally. I mean, I haven't asked mom or dad yet, but I have a feeling they'd be down."
"Thanks. I don't like going home late… Dad doesn't like it."
"You can borrow some of my clothes," Luca assured.
"You should probably just start leaving outfits here," Scout advised, from experience.
"How do you always get away with just having people over?" Reese asked incredulously, knowing she would never understand her brother's insane popularity or the fact that he enjoyed having people over. Reese only really liked hanging out with Sara and Addison, and she'd only ever had the one sleepover.
"I don't know. Super lucky, I guess." Luca grinned, going off to call Wasabi while Zayne and Reese settled onto the couch to watch Scout parade his little avatar around his island, giving them a proper tour.
When Luca came back, he overheard the three discussing names for his baby brother.
"Don't forget," Reese reminded after shooting down the names Ansel and Sherb, "we're working with the middle name Elliott and we don't want to have a name that starts with a vowel because neither Luca or I have that. Also, the name can't start with an L or an R, and if I got my say, the name would be six letters long, but that part is much less important."
"Why six letters?" Zayne asked, not having heard this lecture before. Luca rolled his eyes, sitting next to them. He wasn't sure if they had talked baby names since the gender reveal, what with everything that had happened.
"Okay, well, all these rules are part of a trend. Obviously naming our little brother is very important so we want to make sure that we don't give him a name that clashes. I think it would be cool, though, if we could also follow a trend. Luca's name is four letters, mine is five, Baby Elliott's should be six."
"Why not three?" Scout asked, "Then it would descend with age." Zayne hadn't actually known that Reese was the oldest. He made a mental note of it.
"We talked about that when there was still a possibility of him being her, but we ran out of good guy names. We liked May for a girl, though."
"May's pretty," Zayne agreed, thoughtfully, "What about Sawyer?"
"I like Sawyer but I think we vetoed it, for some reason…" Luca crossed his arms.
"Because," Reese reminded, "the specific rule was that you weren't allowed to name our baby brother after anyone that I can recognize from a musical. So Sawyer is out, and Jeremy and Michael and Evan, et cetera. You can do that when you have kids."
"So Jason is also out?" Luca joked.
"Yes."
"Hmm. How about Skylar?" Luca asked.
"Look, I'm obviously the queen of gender-neutral names, and I like Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist as much as you, but we can't name our little brother Skylar. I feel like this is something we've already talked about.
"Todrick. It's not six letters, but it's unique," Zayne suggested.
"It's kind of from a musical," Reese said with a shrug.
"That doesn't count," Luca said, "It's unfair to count actors. But I don't know. I don't really like Todrick Elliot. Sorry, Zayne."
"No, it's okay. Uh… This is hard."
"Yeah, it is. Scout, you got any recommendations?"
"Brendon."
"Uh, maybe. Brendon Elliott, not bad."
"His initials would be BET," Zayne laughed.
"What about Victor? Like, Frankenstein?" Scout asked. His class was reading that right now.
"Victor Elliott isn't bad. I don't know. What's your avatar's name, Scout?"
"MockingJay. Had to put the ten character limit to use. I wanted MockingBird but that's 11 letters."
"Oh, like your name," Zayne caught on. "Scout, from To Kill a Mockingbird?"
"Yeah, exactly," Scout grinned.
"That's kinda cool, man. You could've gone with Jem, though. Oh, that could be your brother's name, Jem."
"In the book," Reese schooled them all, "Jem is short for Jeremy, which is a vetoed name."
"Your rules are dumb," Zayne said, but there was no malice in his voice. This time, he wasn't trying to push people away.
